ideas on an integrated amp for £300-£500

dr_gonzo

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Hi, I'm a bit perplexed as to what amp to buy.. I know auditioning is a must but I first need somewhere to start!

I'm starting to get serious with my audio gear and am no longer content with average audio... I currently have a 25 year old pioneer A300x amp that has served me pretty well, but its now on its last legs and I'm sure I can get a much better sound with newer technology.. and im now wanting to start buying the gear in stages..
1.Amp 2.Speakers 3.Dac 4.Cart and styli

Please tell me if im barking up the wrong tree spending this amount and expecting it to sound like there sat in the room (im sure thats what everyone wants but from reviews thats the impression i get what they sound like..).. I've been purchasing some of the mobile fidelity remasters on 180g half speed vinyl and it does sound pretty good through my Rega RP1 TT but it hasnt blown me away yet, My speakers are probably a major factor too and they'll be next on the list, at the moment their denons that came with another av amp along with a sub.

I've my eyes or maybe ears on the Rega Mira 3, from what the reviews have said its a bit of a hidden gem especially when paired with the Rega speakers. Has anyone had much experince with this amp and what speakers combination do they have? also is the Rega Brio 3, this has equally as good reviews but the £200 difference is making me think twice.. auditioning these two would be needed i reckon..

On the other hand and why I cant really audition this part.. would I be maybe better off spending the same amount on a second hand amp from maybe 5 or more years ago? surely the technology can't have changed much and I'm not going for looks here (but the rega does look pretty sweet).. I'm wanting purely excellent sound without the bells and whistles of surround sound etc..

Music I listen to varies a lot, anything from 60s psychadelia to electro to rockabilly, b52s to velvet underground, the stooges, john lennon, mothers of invention, apex twin, death in vegas, bob dylan, louis armstrong, nirvana, the cramps, bob marley and am also listening to more jazz and vocal artists now like diana krall now aswel...

As i said after this will be speakers and so on, im a terrible saver!

Hope ive not bored you to death and looking forward to replies :)
Jamie
 
The general consensus appears to be that speakers offer the biggest improvement in terms of upgrading one thing in any given system...I tend to agree with this.

Those Denon speakers sound like they are letting the side down most of all too, again, just my humble thought on it.

The Rega amps are well regarded and although I haven't heard one I am currently loving my new Rega DAC in my system. Detail but still retaining some warmth...very nice IMO.

Amps in your price range.....Lots to choose from, personally I'd hunt down a good secondhand bargain. I bought my Arcam A85 for a steal at £200(£900 new) and my Roksan Caspian M-1 series for £600 (£1450 new).

Buying used is not for everyone as there are obvious risks attached....Touch-wood I've not been burnt yet and I've bought a few bits now.

Anyway, I'm sure others will be along soon with more advice.

All the best
Darren
 
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I'd buy a used Naim pre-power, maybe a Naim integrated. From the kind of music you like and the way you seem to want to go it would be ideal.

Then I'd change the speakers and see where you are.
 
I am going to back up Dazzor here and recommend you get new speakers first. Still any suggestions for amps will be useful as you plan on upgrading both. But get the speakers first if you can unless your amp is literally dead.
 
I thought the speakers would make a difference but thought theyd be second to an amp.. something to definelty ponder about that then.

The amps not completly dead it just needs the pots cleaning as it crackles when moving volume and sometimes the left channel goes dead and have to wiggle the input selector to get it back on.. VERY annoying! The pots inside are pretty strange as there not round, there instead straight?? not easy to explain properly but I had a quote and the price was silly hence me just wanting something newer..

Ill definetly look at those amps you've suggested, buying second hand is a bit risky but you can save lots as ive sold gear at 20% the price I bought it and was perfect.. sometimes half the fun finding bargains that are secondhand

Cheers for your replies
 
I'll second the suggestion of Naim kit. I recently picked up an ex-demo Naim 5i for just over your budget, and it's a superb amp which will see you through a few upgrades.
 
50W per channel amp for £800? Hmm.

Hi alasrati

I am sure/hope you did say that jokingly, no insult intended. Some of the best (reviewed) amplifiers in the world have low wattages. It means little unless you have very inefficient speakers. Most people probably listen to an average of between 1 or 2 watt (normal) to perhaps 20W maximum.

To the OP, Rega make some lovely products and as well as their own speakers (dynamic and rythmic but slightly coarse treble to my ageing ears) Ushers budget speaker, the S520 makes a nice match. They sound a tad more 'mature' and are allrounders, as good with jazz as rock.

As always, my opinion only.
 
It doesn't cost anywhere near £800 to produce 2x50W of clean, high current power. That was my (facetious) point.

Anyway, as the Cranberries say, no need to argue. I am sure plenty of people love Naim kit, I just think it's overpriced for what it is.
 
It doesn't cost anywhere near £800 to produce 2x50W of clean, high current power. That was my (facetious) point.

Anyway, as the Cranberries say, no need to argue. I am sure plenty of people love Naim kit, I just think it's overpriced for what it is.

Oh sure, you can make 200w cheaply (and I would'nt discount any product that does without having listened to it) but my experience with Naim has been mostly favorable, some exceptions. I dont know what yours (Naim history) is but they have their place. As anything Hifi, nothing will appeal to all men (or women). Great that way, dont you think so?

regards
 
Touching upon drummerman's thoughts on power and performance...

The XTZ A-100 D3 is getting much love in many quarter's of the hifi world at the moment. It can operate as a class A amp at 50 watts or AB class with 180wpc.

A little subjective perhaps but I suspect most will find the SQ in class A mode superior ....Of course this is subjective to a point and some may prefer none-class A amplification....But the XTZ you can choose which is great I think

Anyway, the XTZ A-100 D3, buy all accounts is an absolute cracker. It's £600 new and some have suggested it competes with amps costing 3 times this. Also, the A-100 D3 has digital inputs too! Yes, an onboard DAC into the bargain and by all accounts it's really rather good! All this for £600.

Here, read this review over on Wigwam .

I'm tempted to try it out, if I like it then flog my Roksan. (XTZ offer 30 day trial and full refund if you don't like it, you just have to suffer return shipping costs to Sweden)


Anyway, just another option for you to consider

Rgds
D
 
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Great stuff, I have a few options then.. Maybe getting another look at the pots in my amp might be worth the time and right now purchase some speakers..

Heard some good things on the KEF Q300's although the single dome is hard for me to get my head round! will have to have a listen to them at my local dealer first, possibly taking in my amp to try them on if It gets fixed!

Cheers
 
...

The XTZ A-100 D3 is getting much love in many quarter's of the hifi world at the moment. It can operate as a class A amp at 50 watts or AB class with 180wpc.

...

A very interesting option at, what seems, a fantastic price (thanks to our friends in China).

May I say I have not heard that amplifier so I can only quote the review you mentioned; He says his FMJ (Arcam) has a lot of PRAT (Naim users know what he means). - I found the FMJ38 to be a very nice product, contrary to some reviews, if matched sympathetically, in this case some better MA's (I am unfortunately not a fan of their lower ranges) but I found it definitively not to be a product defined by rythm and/or pace although it does other things very well. This kind of makes me wonder how this danish (swedish?) designed, chinese manufacturered amplifier sounds as he quotes it to be 'slower' with less defined leading edges.

Just a thought and in no way trying to diminish the value or indeed sound quality for what's on offer.

As always, my opinion only.
 
A very interesting option at, what seems, a fantastic price (thanks to our friends in China).

May I say I have not heard that amplifier so I can only quote the review you mentioned; He says his FMJ (Arcam) has a lot of PRAT (Naim users know what he means). - I found the FMJ38 to be a very nice product, contrary to some reviews, if matched sympathetically, in this case some better MA's (I am unfortunately not a fan of their lower ranges) but I found it definitively not to be a product defined by rythm and/or pace although it does other things very well. This kind of makes me wonder how this danish (swedish?) designed, chinese manufacturered amplifier sounds as he quotes it to be 'slower' with less defined leading edges.

Just a thought and in no way trying to diminish the value or indeed sound quality for what's on offer.

As always, my opinion only.

Pleased you read the review, DM:smashin:


Yes, this is the one area that concerns me too.....I'm more of a quick 1-hour blast man when in comes to music so I quite like an edge to my music listening....but I also crave the depth and fullness that I suspect the XTZ has.

I really do think I will be taking a chance on this unit and as I say, if I like it then I'll sell my Caspian.

Having said all that, the XTZ has some big shoes to fill as I love the Caspian...it's such a muscular sound IMO.
 
The only 3 amps that interest me below £1000 are:

XTZ D3
CA 840A
HK990
 
The only 3 amps that interest me below £1000 are:

XTZ D3
CA 840A
HK990

Nice list.

Don't suppose you have any experience of my Roksan Caspian M-1 series do you? Just be good gauge your thoughts if you have


Cheers
D
 
Pleased you read the review, DM:smashin:


Yes, this is the one area that concerns me too.....I'm more of a quick 1-hour blast man when in comes to music so I quite like an edge to my music listening....but I also crave the depth and fullness that I suspect the XTZ has.

I really do think I will be taking a chance on this unit and as I say, if I like it then I'll sell my Caspian.

Having said all that, the XTZ has some big shoes to fill as I love the Caspian...it's such a muscular sound IMO.

Hi Dazzor,

I've noticed you appear to have the itch for this amp, have you gone for the demo yet? Having spoken to Shaun at Audiosanctum it seems quite straightforward. They take a 50% deposit, send you the demo unit, you try it out for a couple of weeks. If you decide you don't want it, they arrange collection and it costs you approx £40 to cover postage both ways. If you decide to buy, they arrange collection of the demo unit and send out a new one. It doesn't cost you a penny in postage. Sounds like a good deal if you ask me.
 
A very interesting option at, what seems, a fantastic price (thanks to our friends in China).

May I say I have not heard that amplifier so I can only quote the review you mentioned; He says his FMJ (Arcam) has a lot of PRAT (Naim users know what he means). - I found the FMJ38 to be a very nice product, contrary to some reviews, if matched sympathetically, in this case some better MA's (I am unfortunately not a fan of their lower ranges) but I found it definitively not to be a product defined by rythm and/or pace although it does other things very well. This kind of makes me wonder how this danish (swedish?) designed, chinese manufacturered amplifier sounds as he quotes it to be 'slower' with less defined leading edges.

Just a thought and in no way trying to diminish the value or indeed sound quality for what's on offer.

As always, my opinion only.

Well I am using a couple of Arcam P1s at the moment to power a pair of XTZ 99.36s. I was thinking of trying out the XTZ Class AP-100 power amp, very much out of curiosity since I have never heard a class A amp, want to see what the fuss is about. The idea is to see how it performs to power the speakers on its own and then experiment with bi-amping, using the P1s to power the bass drivers and the AP-100 to power the mids and tweeter. It'll be interesting. :D
 
Hi Dazzor,

I've noticed you appear to have the itch for this amp, have you gone for the demo yet? Having spoken to Shaun at Audiosanctum it seems quite straightforward. They take a 50% deposit, send you the demo unit, you try it out for a couple of weeks. If you decide you don't want it, they arrange collection and it costs you approx £40 to cover postage both ways. If you decide to buy, they arrange collection of the demo unit and send out a new one. It doesn't cost you a penny in postage. Sounds like a good deal if you ask me.

Yes, that seems like a really good arrangement and certainly one I'd be keen check out:smashin:.............I do have a bit of an inch for this amp for sure....The reviews and feedback have been very encouraging.

I can't seem to find a buy option on XTZ's site for D3...I wanted to compare prices as I have in the past bought from XTZ (Rikard) direct and just wanted see the price difference.....To be fair to Audio Sanctum there's not normally much in it...10% or less I think?

For the convenience factor alone I'd be happy to put the business their way..If I liked the amp sufficiently over my beloved Caspian of course;)

Cheers
Darren
 
I've looked into it before, there's nothing in it after adding bank fees for the currency exchange. Having used audiosanctum to buy my speakers and after a small misunderstanding they were excellent to deal with, I wouldn't hesitate using them again.
 
I can't seem to find a buy option on XTZ's site for D3...I wanted to compare prices as I have in the past bought from XTZ (Rikard) direct and just wanted see the price difference.....To be fair to Audio Sanctum there's not normally much in it...10% or less I think?


Cheers
Darren

It´s right here on the web shop:

XTZ Class-A 100 D3 Black - XTZ Hifi


:)

/Rikard
 

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